Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Guest Post - Paul Moore!

1) What was your first published work?I did some strips for some small press comics based in Glasgow in the mid ninties, I can't quite remember which one was the first I think it might have been a comic called 'So what?' I drew a cautionary drugs tale and another tale with a supernatural detective called Frank N Stein, I got a review at the time comparing my work to Steve Dillon's, I was quite chuffed with that, but I didn't follow it up, I went to Uni and got a 'proper' job soon after.

2) Who or what inspires you?

I remember being inspired to draw comics when reading the Marvel UK Hulk weekly and seeing British artists like Gibbons, Bolton, Lloyd, Dillon and US artists John Buscema (who has to be my most fondly remembered artist), Kirby and Kane. Then there was the classic 2000ad artists McMahon, Bolland, Colin Wilson and Cam Kennedy's Rogue Trooper was a particular favourite of mine, later Yowell, Bisley, Fabry and Hickleton. I remember being inspired by Mazzuchelli and his amazing Born Again and Batman work. Masamune Shirow, Katsushira Otomo along with John Romita jr and Al Williamson's Daredevil run (so stylish). Somewhere along the way I discovered Frank Bellamy, John M Burns, Alex Toth and Moebius. Recently I've found the names of some of the Spanish artists who were never credited on old British strips Palacios, Breccia and De La Fuente, currently I love the work of Alfonso Font and Goran Parlov, oh and John Paul Leon.
In fine art I love the figure artists in the Impressionists Degas and Manet, the Expressionists Klimt and particularly Schiele and I love the sculpture of Rodan.

3) What would be your dream job to illustrate?First off I'd be happy if someone simply offered to pay me! But seriously if I was offered my dream job drawing comics, I would obviously love to draw the industry big hitters Batman, Spiderman, Daredevil and the others. Ive always loved the SCI-FI genre, so any of the 2000ad classic characters would be a dream, particularly Rogue Trooper, Dredd or Johnny Alpha. There was a series called Warheads from Marvel UK drawn by Gary Erskine that I thought had an unrealised potential I thought it was a great concept - a team using worm holes to steal technology for a corrupt/occult Conglomerate… fantastic, I'd love to do something like that. I do love the iconography of the old west, so a Western like the Blueberry series, would definitely be a dream project or maybe a Firefly style combination of SCI-FI and Western genres, actually one project Im currently working on may turnout quite close to his Concept,
I would also love to work in concept art for games, movies and TV, I love creating worlds and characters but I don't really have enough knowledge of what the work involves to be too picky.

4) Tell us a bit about the illustration(s) you've sent?1&2-I've mostly been working digitally in Black and white, Ive been drawing a Star wars themed series based on the Planet Tatooine, here we have big bad Boba Fett (and Sarlaac) and Han Solo3- Satana, an example of digital pencils.4- Seline from the Underworld series, I had alot of fun drawing this lovely lady in black leather.5-Aeon Flux, a favourite animated character (black leather again)6-I drew Judge Dredd just to see if I could, I was pleasantly surprised I didn't mess it up.7-Matty Roth from a series I liked DMZ.8- With Moon Knight, I was trying for a classic hero on on gargoyle look.9-My favourite recent comic series Scalped and an attempt to include a background, something I don't do enough of.10-Green Arrow, coloured by my web pal Biram Ba.11-Banshee a favourite drawing of mine.12-Madelyne Pryor, sexy woman in a basque and a cape do I need another reason?13-Strontium Dog another of my favourite 2000ad characters in real pencils this time.14-Jonah Hex I told you, I love Westerns, this is a tonal study to be finished sometime later.15- An inked up comic page for Surprising comics.16- A superhero strip for Red Leaf comics.

5) What can we expect to see from you next (what are you working on)?
I've done a few strips for Red Leaf comics they are offering me another strip for a character called Avalon across between Captain Britain and Iron Man which should be published later this Year. I've been working with Brad McLoughlin on a Horror based in the Old West and most recently I've been working with Corey Fryia and Doug Garbark on a SCI-FI Concept, it's at very early stage but it should be good…

6) If you hadn't become an artist what do you think you'd have ended up doing?I'd probably continue to do what I do now, working in IT, currently for the NHS in Glasgow, that may end up happening lol.